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200 Words Or Less

9th Wonder & Buckshot

The Solution
Duck Down (2012)

The histories of both Buckshot and 9th Wonder in the rap game are long and storied. Buckshot’s tenure started in the early ‘90s as member of Black Moon, and as the leader of pivotal rap supergroup Boot Camp Clik. He’s continued to contribute to the greater good of the genre as a part-owner of the record label Duck Down. 9th … Read more

Mixtapes

Even On The Worst Nights
No Sleep (2012)

Even on the Worst Nights beams with positivity. Sure, a closer listen will reveal a lot of sarcasm in the sugar-pop sound, but the first impression is one of balloons and puppy dogs, not shaking one’s fists in anger or letting loose a crippling, agonizing scream. The Cincinnati, OH band is clean and crisp, with singalongs, brevity, and self-awareness as … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Deathstench

Rites Of The Dead Moon
Independent (2012)

Deathstench has done much to make their name in the underground world of blackened noise. This EP contains a solitary 13 minute song. While for some the length may be a turn off, you may put aside your expectations right now. This solitary track is contained in packaging that makes it worth the price alone. On a 3" cd encased … Read more

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Lost Songs
Superball (2012)

The past decade has been an artistic whirlwind for the Austin, TX …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. After hitting a peak with Source Tags and Codes in 2002, the band has since struggled with their identity and the heavy expectations from critics. Or at least that’s how it feels in the eye of the beholder. … Read more

Book Review

Greg Prato

Too High To Die: Meet The Meat Puppets
lulu (2012)

Do you know who the Meat Puppets are, or have you ever wondered who the two long-haired guys that appeared on Nirvana’s Unplugged performance were? Like many people my age, I was introduced to the Meat Puppets by seeing the Kirkwood brothers perform their songs with Nirvana on MTV’s Unplugged way back in 1993 (Dear God has it really been … Read more

Young Statues

Self Titled
Run for Cover (2012)

Young Statues are a newly formed, Philadelphia indie rock band that arose from the coming together of long time friends. Their debut self-titled full-length is full of catchy riffs and appealing melodies and comes together to form a great overall “easy listening” feel. In short, your girlfriend will like this from the get-go and, if you give it a real … Read more

Norwegian Arms

Wolf Like A Stray Dog
Independent (2013)

I discovered Norwegian Arms the same way I discover most of the best music I listen to – with the pop of a facebook chat window opening accompanied by a youtube link. As the video for “Tired of Being Cold” loaded (I have satellite internet because I live in the woods. It’s very slow, comparatively.) My friend Cris explained that … Read more

Downtown Struts

Victoria!
Pirates Press (2012)

Pop-punk, Americana infused rock 'n' roll isn't really something I'd usually find myself listening to, but occasionally it's quite nice to break free of the norm and invest your time in something a little different. Downtown Struts are one such investment, and it was very much time well spent. Riding the coattails of bands such as Against Me!, The Gaslight … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Various Artists

Touche Amore/Pianos Become The Teeth - Split
Topshelf (2013)

I’m going to say it outright; I love both of these bands and when I saw hints at this split popping up on message boards I couldn’t have been more excited. Of course with this attachment there is a huge build up of expectations and I can promise you that neither band disappoints, each putting up a song that is … Read more

The Tallest Man on Earth

There's No Leaving Now
Dead Oceans (2012)

Sweden’s Kristian Matsson (more popularly known as the Tallest Man On Earth) first found himself atop a mountain of praise in 2010 following the release of The Wild Hunt, wheedling his way into the hearts of many with soothing melodies and uplifting energy. Relying almost entirely on just his guitar and commanding voice, Matsson’s brand of folk garnered more than … Read more

The Black Widow's Project

Heavy Heart
Shitstem (2012)

Initially, I thought I had this band all figured out. From the obvious stoner metal influence and playful title of the lead track, “Ha ha ha uh”, I felt like I knew exactly what to expect. These guys were not interested in odd time signatures or complicated song arrangements. They were merely interested in having some fun with rock n’ … Read more

Year Of The Goat

Angels' Necropolis
Ván (2012)

Year of the Goat haven’t had the best of starts in life – injury, great upheaval, internal friction and possibly more has meant that the Swedish quintet have had to push back the release of their debut Angels’ Necropolis further than they imagined. Praise Satan then, that the record finally sees the darkness of their retro sound birthed into the … Read more

The Magnificent

Bad Lucky
Dirt Cult (2012)

As I’ve gotten older, there are punk scenes I shy away from. Among those topping the list is street punk—not to totally write off the subgenre, but a lot of it gets bogged down in sloppy slogans, ridiculous themes, and a rather rigid dress code. It’s not that I’ve grown averse to a well-written street punk song as much as … Read more

Amenra

Mass V
Neurot Recordings (2012)

Rituals are deeply ingrained into our shared human experience and the modern ones seemingly thrust us back through the ages to some vaguely remembered race memory locked in the genetic code in safe guarded in our cells, and Amenra not only appreciates this phenomenon but exploit our collective unconscious to produce some rather breathtaking performances that at this point has … Read more

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